autumn inspiration

25 April 2017

It's a crazy life. This week we've been immersed in enjoying autumn and next week we'll be enjoying spring. Yes, it's time to pack again for our annual migration to the Northern Hemisphere. Time to pack up the house, and my studio, say goodbye to our beautiful dog and head to Spain for adventures in our little van.

Last couple of days of the crisp, frosty mornings, calm days, spectacular autumn colours, bike rides and swims with Zulu dog.

Watercolour sketch of from the Lake Wanaka Outlet

Working on a pattern of Liquidambar leaves

Next post should be from somewhere in Spain :-)

You can follow my sketching adventures here on this blog, on Facebook or Instagram.

A free lesson for you!

One of my all-time favourite paintings of a stormy day in a ruined Roman town in Spain.

You can do this! Let me show you how. Join my community to receive this free video tutorial.

Join here

pen before the watercolour wash

27 February 2026

Last weekend I ran a poll on Patreon and it seems a number of people are interested in different ways to approach watercolours and adding different media. I'm excited about this! Let's mix things up a...

an olive branch in watercolour

12 February 2026

There’s something wonderfully calming about painting botanicals. You don’t need to rush — you can slow right down and paint one leaf at a time, dipping in and out of the painting whenever you fi...

what I've discovered about painting with honey-based watercolours

9 February 2026

After months of painting with honey-based watercolours in pans from Deep Deep Light - in my studio and on location - I’ve got some thoughts about what makes these paints unique. Some of these discov...

painting winter light and shadows in watercolour

4 February 2026

Join me in the little village just above where we live in the Pyrenees, on a quiet, sunny winter morning after an overnight snowfall. Last week we woke to a world completely transformed — fresh snow...